


How To Break A Deal In Three Easy Steps

by camincya



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel/Dean Winchester Mutual Pining, Dean Winchester Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Happy Ending, M/M, Season/Series 14 Speculation, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:48:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camincya/pseuds/camincya
Summary: Dean is finally free from Michael. Some could say that it would be a hard enough trial, but it doesn't seem that way. Because Dean finally found out Castiel may have made a deal that puts his life in danger. And a confession by training another, Dean learns a lot more about his best friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! I hope you like this story. 
> 
> I'm not an English native speaker, but I still hope I didn't make too many mistakes (if that's the case, then please forgive me ...). I'm doing this for fun, and if you want to give me advice, then go for it ;)

It has been very complicated to pull Michael out of Dean’s body, but not as much as Castiel would have thought. The first time Dean has been his vessel – the only time he said yes to Michael –, finding Dean has required the help of a lot of people. This time, Michael hadn’t even tried to fly away. He let himself be handcuff and followed them to the bunker.

But being in Dean’s mind has been a different kind of ordeal. Seeing Michael imagining him doing horrible things through Dean’s body. Having to see how Dean was broken inside his own head was something Castiel would have never expected.

The most heartbreaking scene was certainly having to see Dean living the life he would like to have. Being a bartender, listening to the stories of drunk people, most likely hook up with the most beautiful women, calming down every fight between customers… But above all, having a life without the supernatural. A normal life.

But Castiel and Sam both succeeded and now, Michael was anywhere but in Dean’s body.

 

Right now, Dean is still sleeping, recovering from the possession. Castiel is sitting on the couch in Dean’s room in order to keep an eye on him while he is resting. It’s been a week now that Dean is sleeping, and never waking up. Sam thought about letting Dean in the hands of doctors and nurses, but if they actually did it, Castiel couldn’t do what he was doing right now. No one would have allowed him to stay while being on the hospital, all day long.

So here they are: Dean sleeping in his bed, Castiel watching for him in the same room, and Sam and Jack doing some research on the library.

-« Hey. »

Castiel is still lost in his thoughts when the sound reaches his brain, his eyes trying to find his figure in the dark. Thanks to the sound of the sheets, Castiel can know Dean is trying to reach the lamp, and when the light fills the room, Dean seems lost for a few seconds. During this short pause, Castiel had walked to be next to Dean.

-« How do you feel? How are you?

-I’m… Okay. I guess », Dean hardly answers.

Dean straightens himself up and leans against the bedboard.

Castiel is standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed, not sure what to do. Both are staring at each other, Castiel is visibly surprised and reassured to see Dean since ... since his little trip in his mind. Cas ends up pulling the office chair to sit next to Dean, still lying in bed.

-« I’ve healed you, so you will not have any after-effect. I did try for your mental health, but I guess it’s better if we talk first… If you want, of course.

-Are you a therapist? », Dean jokes, unsure if the smile he is attempting to do is more of a smile than a grimace.

Dean’s mouth is completely dry, and he wishes he could have something to drink, but Castiel is not holding anything, and there is no bottle of water on the nightstand. Unconsciously, Dean raises one of his hand to catch a bottle. His movements are very slow as if he hadn’t moved for a long time.

The coldness and shape of the glass are familiar to him, but before he manages to get the bottle down to drink at the neck, Castiel is faster and catches the other bottle of Whisky that lies half full next door - which is also, unfortunately, the only other in his room.

-« You shouldn’t drink that. It’s too early in the morning and you just wake up. I’ll pick you a drink of water if you want. »

Castiel is already getting up when Dean realizes it means he's going to be alone. And it's the opposite of what he wants. He doesn’t want to be alone, not after what he just came through.

Several questions turn in his head, and he must choose the one that will keep Cas with him, a question with a long answer, a question that can not be postponed.

-« Tell me what happened, Cas. »

Castiel, who has only done a few steps then, turns slowly to take the time to choose his words. He has to choose what to say in case Dean does not remember everything that had happened. He opened his mouth, closed it, and finally said :

-« Michael possessed you again. But this time, he didn’t just leave your body, he… You’ve slept for a week. Huh… you must be starving. »

Okay. Castiel is about to leave again. Why is he still leaving? Couldn’t he just stay !? So he has been there for a week, watching over him – which was strange, but also very hopeful – but now that Dean was awake, he was just leaving? Oh no, not that way, he would eat and drink later.

-« Why is it different? Last time, this didn’t happen to me. »

Dean looks completely lost. He remembers what has happened to him. He remembers of Castiel and of Sam while he was a prisoner of Michael. But all of a sudden, Dean has flashbacks of an event that happened several years ago. When he had seen Raphael’s vessel. Okay, maybe after the first possession, Dean did collapse on the floor; and maybe yes, he fainted for a moment on the concrete. So Dean deduced that he was at the second level: coma. Not for a long time, of course, but if he believed what Castiel had just said to him, then he had been for days in a constant vegetative state, he just slept for a week. Level three would look like Raphael's vessel. And the game would be over for him.

Castiel is about to talk, but Dean cuts it out. No, he is ready yet. Maybe later.

-« No, save it for later. I need a shower right now. »

As soon as he is done, he pulled himself out of his sheets but turning to get out of bed, his head begins to spin. He waits a few seconds while Castiel’s hand had come to rest on his forearm as if to support him. Slowly, Dean gets up and helped by Cas for the first steps, he finally reaches the bathroom door.

-« I’m waiting for you here unless you want me to go get you something to eat while waiting?

-Coffee would be a good idea. Something to eat too. »

Castiel nodded in agreement and added :

-« Don’t lock the door. Just in case. »

Dean smiles a little and passes the door. He closes it and makes sure not to shoot the bolt. He takes the few steps that separate him from the sink to look himself in the mirror. The reflection that presents itself in it is normal. As if nothing had happened. However, if he was not aware of what Michael had done to him in his first possession – as if he was constantly underwater and could not reach the surface – this time, he remembers his meeting with Castiel and Sam. And above all, this second possession has awakened all the buried memories of the first one. Every murder, even if it was only vampires, every moment of those months to be a prisoner of himself.

He feels the bile up in his throat, and before he knows it, he is kneeling on the toilet and vomiting. It burns his throat, but the physical pain is much more tolerable than the psychological one. He wants to forget everything. He has to forget everything.

Once he has finished, and anyway, he has nothing to vomit in his stomach, he sits down against the sink cabinet, and bends his head back and close his eyes.

***

He doesn’t know how long he has been in that position, but when he opens his eyes again, Castiel is at his side, shoulder to shoulder because of the smallness of the furniture.

-« You fell asleep. I allowed myself to enter, as I did not hear the water flowing. Everything is fine? »

Castiel hands him a cup of coffee. It is lukewarm, not quite hot, but not cold either. Anyway, Dean is not going to be choosy. He takes a long sip and finally asks the question that obsessed him the most. It’s reassuring to have Cas near him. He’ll go to see his brother as soon as he feels a little better. There is no point in playing comedy in front of Cas when he can see perfectly through Dean each time. 

-« Is it possible for him to start again? What can or will happen next time?

-Honestly, I don’t know. But if you have to flee him forever, I'll help you. And Sam and Jack too. Mary, Bobby, Charlie… All the hunters from the other universe. We are all with you. »

Dean could only smile at this. What could a small troop of hunters do against the most powerful archangels? But he needs a little hope, so he does not contradict Castiel.

-« Cas? You said I was sleeping (Castiel nods), but how do you explain I didn’t need food. I should be physically more… you know, like a man who hasn’t eat for a week.

-I did it with my grace. I haven’t really fed you, but I used it to overcome all your physical and human needs. »

Dean almost chocks while hearing this. « All your physical and humans need ». Great. Whatever that means is nothing Dean would enjoy to know.

-« We couldn’t leave you without protection in a hospital, so I was using my grace almost every hour, sometimes to try to wake you up. »

For the first time since the beginning of their conversation, Dean turns his face to look at Castiel. If Dean has not changed, Castiel yes. He seems more tired, but also relieved.

-« So… A bartender?

-Shut up. »

But Dean can’t help smiling, and neither can Cas. Becoming a bartender, why not? He did his job by hunting supernatural creatures and by saving the world from many apocalypses. He died a lot by doing this, and Sammy too. Maybe it is time to stop. Maybe it’s time to let younger hunter shine. And he is not old, a lot of people change their jobs. Why not him? He would totally enjoy being on. Maybe even working with Cas…?

Dean notices that he has no idea of what Castiel would like to do if none of them wanted to keep being hunters. Sam wouldn’t get out of this life now that he has his little hunter army, but what about Cas? 

-« What would you like to do, you? », Dean asks

Castiel bits his lip and looks away. He takes time to think, but ends up saying monotonously :

-« I don’t know.  
-I’m the one who lies professionally, Cas. You can't-fool me.

-It doesn’t matter anymore. I made a deal with the shadow of the empty to save Jack. It… It has invaded Heaven to look for Jack as he’s half angel.

-Sounds strangely legit. What about you? »

Dean knows there is something wrong. This is it, a layer of a nightmare on another layer of a nightmare. It’s like a vicious circle where neither of them – Dean, Sam, and Cas – can’t be happy. Jack is still too innocent and hopeful to feel it.

-« I exchanged my life with Jack’s. The Shadow will take me to the empty when I’m most happy.

-So what would make you happy?

-Dean!

-It’s sad, but if we want to be sure you don’t die unexpectedly, don’t you think it’s better to tell us? »

In his logic, Dean is right. Knowing what Castiel wants the most in the world would then make sure not to ask him. Until the deal is no longer relevant, of course.

-« There is no shame to have, you know. Whatever it is.

-I know. And I’m not ashamed.

-Yeah, right. Well, your face is telling me otherwise. »

Dean has not stopped looking at him, even though Castiel has continued to fix the tile in the bathroom. Dean could easily see that Castiel is not comfortable.

-« I will not judge you, you know it », Dean softly adds.

Maybe he is going a little too far, and maybe he has to stop asking such embarrassing questions to Castiel. After all, sentimental conversations are not their forte. In fact, it’s not Dean’s, Castiel is doing pretty well, at least with Jack. But he thinks he is so close for Castiel to tell him…

-« Okay. If you don’t want to tell me, then it means it’s linked to me. But you gotta think that if I know, it’ll be better for me to avoid doing something against you.

-I’m not really scared it ever happens, Dean. No need to tell you. »

Fatigue is regaining Dean. Even if he is hungry - and still thirsty -, he would quickly go through the kitchen to take stocks. For now, he is too much tired. And it’s nice to be able to talk to Cas while being so close.

-« Tell me », Dean repeats for the last time.

He can see and feel Castiel moving by his side. Alright, so he has gone too far, and now Cas will leave. He sighs with disappointment, but the moment he thinks Cas is straightening himself up to stand up, Cas is actually kneeling in front of Dean. And his face is getting closer to Dean’s. It’s slow, too slow for their mouth to meet, too slow compared to how fast Dean’s heart is beating in his chest. 

So it’s now. After spending the week sleeping, after doing horrible things, after vomiting, after being so weak… It’s now, and they are just sitting in the bathroom.

Cas presses his lips on him. Dean must use all his will not to kiss him back. Because to do it would mean to admit that his feelings are reciprocal and would make him die. Because not to do it possible to perpetuate the doubt, or worse to make Castiel believe that it is not reciprocal.

This is not the kiss he wished he would share with Cas. It’s chaste and it’s quick, while he wished he could have a lot of wet kisses with him. The kind that takes you to the bedroom, the kind that is just the announcement of a passionate night.

But more importantly, he wished he could kiss Cas back, no matter how the kiss went. 

-« Now you know. »

Dean opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them, and only saw Castiel's body walk out of the bathroom door.

 

If Castiel, Sam, and Jack are busy finding Michael to kill him and get rid of him, Dean would have to find a way to save Castiel from his stupid deal.


	2. Chapter 2

It takes a few minutes for Dean to stand up, and a lot more to walk through the bunker and reach the kitchen. His head is aching, and it won't stop because of the lights and all the sounds other hunters are making.

His body is still tense, still marked by his lack of movement for several days.

Even if he wants to make himself breakfast, he must stop by a chair in the war room to rest.

-"Dean?", he hears himself called outside of the room.

-"Over here, Sammy!"

Dean thrusts his head into his arms, his forehead resting on the cold metal of the table. He can discern Sam's footsteps over the distance that separates him from Sam. He can’t see his face yet, but at the sound of his voice, he guesses his relief.

-"Cas told me you were in the bathroom."

Sam approaches the table to sit in front of Dean.

-"He said you are fine, even if your physical and mental condition is not at its best yet. I guess it takes time, like every time.", he says before adding more quietly "We'll help you. "

Dean raises his head to nod. Time... What a stupid way to say you can't do anything!

-"Have you already eat, you and Jack?", Dean asks while looking at the entrance to see if someone is coming, but there is no one.

-"No, not yet. But I am about to make our lunch, what would you like? Bacon?"

Lunch? It's already that late? He sighs and goes back to rest his head on the table. The coldness of the metal is helping to heal his headache.

-"Dean! I'm happy you awaken!", Jack says happily. "I couldn't wake you up, and neither could Cas. We worried a lot."

While saying all this, Jack had reached the fridge and had picked up four beers to bring them to the table. Without thinking about it, Jack takes place next to Sam's chosen chair.

-"Raise your head", Cas says next to him.

Surprised to hear Castiel's voice so close to him - and his ear - he looks up, his eyes wide open. In another situation, the sound of his deep voice could have been very erotic - and would have led Dean's mind where he definitely should not go.

But Cas had caught his eye and hurried to put his fingers on his forehead. Immediately, his headache stopped, as well as the stiffness in his body. It was magical. He sighs with relief.

-"Better?", Cas asks.

Dean nods contentedly. Now that he is feeling better - physically, but he would have plenty of time to be aware of his trauma when he would be alone - he could see the bottle of beer in front of him, followed by a hot plate of bacon.

He had thought that this little family gathering would be tense, but fortunately, no one asked him anything about what he came through. But Dean isn't stupid: he knows this is just a matter of time. They are just enjoying the moment. Jack tells him some feats of the AU hunters while he slept. Sam corrects him sometimes, which makes Dean smiles. Castiel doesn't say anything. He is certainly regretting having kissed Dean, which is something Dean can understand: he would never have dared to do the first step. It was taking the risk of breaking their friendship, and even though he knows it's only a matter of time, Cas knows nothing about it.

But right now, this family gathering is everything he needs: his family, them being happy, and bacon and booze.

 

***

 

Dean is certainly very tired, and if someone were to fall on him at that moment, that person would surely tell him to go to sleep, but as long as he can still understand what he is reading, he continues to study Castiel's case.

And it's useless. For now, all he has found is this sentence declined according to the book, but which can be summed up by: "The Shadow is the guardian of the Empty. Demons and Angels only go to the Empty. No one has ever come back from there." Final point. Which absolutely does not help his problem. Well actually, it’s their problem.

And, this sentence isn't even right because Cas is back.

Honestly, Dean doesn't have a plan. Not a solid one.

The first plan he thought about involve meeting the shadow, punch him or do anything that will break the deal. He is not sure it would work, but he is one of the Winchesters brothers, somehow, he will have something to deal with this shadow, one way or another.

While reading books, he hasn't found any information in order to summon it, nothing about its figure, nothing about its powers, and nothing about the Empty. Nothing at all, and it's hopeless.

And Dean knows that if he can't find any information by reading books, his best solution is to ask Cas about it.

A few questions wouldn't kill him. Right? He picks his phone from the front pocket of his jeans and sends a quick message:

« Need pieces of information about the Empty and everything related.  
Send me everything you find.  
It's important. »

-"Who are you texting?", he hears a voice asking.

When he raises his head, he makes eye contact with his mother immediately. She looks younger, probably thanks to her happy relationship with Bobby. As Dean hasn't heard the door of the bunker making its usual sound, he guesses she is coming from the garage. Bobby must have come with her and is now looking for Sam and Jack and Castiel while Mary wants to talk with him.

-"I've talked to your brother every day. I'm so relieved to finally see you awake."

She sits next to Dean. There are so much love and happiness in her eyes when she looks at him. She grabs his hand which is not resting on the book he's reading.

-"How do you feel?", Mary says before adding: "And don't you dare lie to me."

Dean can't help but smile. Sam, Jack and Cas and a few hunters he's met while going to the kitchen and then the library, they all asked him this question. And each time, he's answered he was fine. But this time, in front of his loving mother, he doesn't know what to say.

-"I think I'm fine. I mean, Michael is out which is good enough for me right now. But..."

He can't finish his sentence.

-"But you want to keep yourself busy to not think about what happened. It's a feeling I can understand and know well. What are you reading?", she finally asks.

She releases his hands to grab the book he was reading and reads the title of it.

-"Cas made a deal with the Empty. I'm trying to find a way to break it."

Just when he says that to his mother, his phone starts to ring. At least Ketch is fast to answer.

« Not working with the men of letters anymore. »

Great. He looks for Ketch's phone number and calls him directly, he is not going to get rid of him so easily. Fortunately for Ketch, he answers from the first ring, because Dean is completely ready to harass him until he's dead or he helped Dean with what he knows.

-"Don't go telling me you hadn't stolen any books or web information from them. I said in my message it's important.

-Is it related to Michael?", Ketch interrupts him which makes Dean angrier.

-"No, all my life is not related to him. I'm looking for pieces of information about the Empty and the shadow, it's important, and I don't find anything for now in the library of the bunker.

-Dean...

-And don't go telling me you have something else more important to do, I don't believe it.

-Fine. Why then?"

Dean stops talking for a drink of his third beer of the day. Sam and Cas hid all the alcohol in the bunker - even the hiding places he thought he was the only one to know - and he finds himself hydrated with beer. He has to choose his words with Ketch. He does not need to know all the details of the deal, just the necessary.

He looks at his mother - who seems to be intrigued - in order to talk to both.

-"I need to contact the shadow of the empty to make a deal, that's why I need to be prepared for every eventuality. So, you investigate everything you have, and everyone who may have pieces of information about it, and you tell them to me. That's all I'm asking for.

-Then do you happen to have Castiel's phone number?", Ketch jokes through the handset. "Or maybe he is not supposed to know?

-Yeah, well just tell me what you'll found."

He says before he hangs up the phone. She closes the book that Dean was reading, and she was browsing while he was talking with Ketch.

-"Dean whatever you’re doing, you should leave that to your brother. Focus on your health instead, there's no need to hurry."

Mary gently caresses Dean's cheek before laying the palm on it. The gesture is reassuring. He knows she's right, after all, they have no more weapons to beat him, and Jack does not have as much power anymore. They can't face him anymore, all they can do against him is kill all the mutant monsters he leaves behind him.

However, at any time, Michael can teleport into the bunker and recover Dean. Or maybe not, maybe Sam and Cas have certainly handed the Enochian symbols to protect Dean and make the bunker impervious to all possible raids.

-"This isn't about Michael, but about Cas. And I need to keep myself busy.

-You can't avoid sleeping, Dean."

Dean sighs and stands up. He'll take a shower before going to sleep. Mary smiles to him, and before leaving the library, he drops a kiss on his mother's forehead, he grabs his beer and the book he was reading. It would be useful if he was suffering from insomnia tonight.

 

***

 

When Dean wakes up in the middle of the night, his room is almost dark. Only a stream of light can pass under the door. But he feels on him the look of someone. When he turns his eyes, he can discern only the silhouette of someone.

Michael!

Even if he knows he should defend himself, catch his gun under his pillow, or his knife in the drawer of his bedside table, he can’t help but throw himself out of bed. He only thinks of running away from him, but his legs do not hold him anymore and he falls to the ground.

He hears faintly footsteps approaching him. Dean can only curl up on himself in the corner of his room. Even if he tries to shout and call Sam, Jack or Cas, no sound can come out of his mouth.

\- "Dean!"

One hand grips his shoulder, while another holds his chin. This last hand forces Dean to raise his head, and when he opens his eyes, there is only Castiel in front of him. The bedside lamp is on. Dean makes his look across the room, but no, they are alone.

He feels Castiel's hand move from his chin to his other shoulder. It is at this moment that he realizes that he does not stop shaking and that Cas tries to stabilize and reassure him.

-"Everything is fine, Dean, it's only me, everything is fine."

Without thinking, Dean lets himself be drawn into Cas's arms and puts his head on his shoulder. He is out of breath, his heart still beats so fast, still imbued with the fear of having to face Michael again.

-“No, it's ok Sam. Dean thought Michael was back. I take care of him, you can go back to bed.” He hears Castiel tell someone, probably Sam if he understands well.

He feels something leaning against his upper back, a pressure of affection. It must be Sam, but when he looks up, he can’t see the door of the room closing. The panic has subsided, he can then be aware of the breath of Cas who comes to caress his ear. He manages to pull away from his embrace to avoid making any mistake, and he leans his head against the wall behind him.

Castiel pulls back to lean against the edge of the bed.

-"Do you feel better?"

Dean nods. The crisis has passed. His breath is still a little erratic, but much less than earlier. If he had thought a little more, he could have understood that it could only be Castiel. And even if Michael were to invade the bunker, Castiel would have felt him approaching and intervened.

-"Yeah. I’m sorry, Cas."

Castiel smiles a bit and looks down.

-"You don’t have to apologize. It’s… my mistake. I don’t need to stay here all night long now that you awaken. I didn’t want to scare you…"

They remain silent for a while. He can't even confront a mere archangel, what could he do against an entity older than God? There were things in the universe that could not be changed, even for the Winchester brothers. As long as he is an angel, Castiel would be doomed to go there. And Dean could not do anything about it.

Dean opens his eyes wide and says :

-"You could become human!"

Castiel looks up, both amazed and surprised at the belief that Dean has put in his voice. The solution seems clear, though.

-"You don’t belong to the empty if you’re no more an angel, Cas.

-I’m not sure it would work: I pissed off the Empty, and it will not leave me that easily, Dean. It doesn't matter how much I want it: the shadow will never break the deal."

Now that the “Cas becomes human” solution is no longer possible, all that remains is the possibility of summoning the shadow. And punch him, or better kill it – which may be worse according to the cosmic-balance-rule-thing. However, he does not feel ready to give up the idea of Cas becoming human. Maybe he could convince him to give up his grace, to be his true self. He has to save him from his deal, so he’ll have to keep reading and harass Ketch for help. He has to help Cas in return, at the same time for everything Cas has done for him – and his family – for the last ten years, but also and mostly because Cas deserves to be happy.

-“You as an angel, it's not all of you. It’s only a part of you. I would be very happy to help you if you needed it.

-I want it”, Cas whispers so weakly that Dean thinks he has not heard well. “I miss being human. Sleeping, eating, dreaming...

-Oh.”

That little sound makes Cas laugh. And even if he doesn’t laugh long, Dean takes the time to admire him. Because – oh God – is he wonderful! He stares at him, at his lips. He could kiss him right now but at what cost? But looking up, he meets Cas' eyes. ‘When he is most happy?’ doesn’t mean kissing, right? They could do so much more than just kissing, and this could make Cas truly happy. Much happier with more than just kisses.

But he can’t. So Dean stands up, crawls in his bed and says goodnight to Cas. He doesn't know if Cas will stay for the night - he doesn't think so -, but he hopes. The room is again plunged into darkness. Without realizing it, he begins to sink into sleep, half aware that Cas is still sitting against the bed next to him. And knowing that someone stays close to him to protect him from Michael when he is unconscious, it allows him to sleep more deeply. So just before sleep, he manages to outline a 'thank you' for Castiel, who responds with a push on his hand.

He knows he should not, but he puts that on his fatigue: he shoots Cas's hand and pushes him to come to him in the bed. Cas goes by and comes to lie down with Dean, over the sheets while Dean is below. He puts his head against Cas's shoulder, while Cas manages - at first uncertainly - to kiss Dean with his arm.

\- "It's not going to be very comfortable for you, this position," cases whispers in Dean's ear.

\- "No, that's fine, and then you're not going to sit all night," Dean says before adding, "Anyway, it's unlikely I'll confuse you with Michael if you're with me, Michael would never come to my bed. "

The tone of his voice suggests something of a joke, but Castiel tightens his grip on Dean, and Dean can feel Cas's breath getting closer to his face, indicating that he has turned his head slightly.

Little by little, he falls asleep, vaguely aware of his own heartbeat, which is fastly beating in his body. He is convinced that Cas can feel it, and all the little details to make him understand that Dean does not want to reject him are good to give to Cas.


	3. Chapter 3

   When Dean wakes up, he feels particularly good. Even amazingly good, as if he was not supposed to be. He had no nightmares that night, some vague memories, for sure, but nothing that forced him to wake up in the middle of the night, out of breath and in shock.

   Dean is lying on his bed, the sheets covering his body. He only has to turn his head on the left to discover Castiel's body by his side. He has his eyes closed as if he is sleeping - if Dean forgets the fact that Cas is not moving above the sheets and that makes him look more like a corpse than a living being. Dean lets the panic invade him for two seconds before realizing that the bust of Cas moves. Maybe we should lend him pajamas for next time if next time there is.

   Dean doesn't know if Cas has realized that he is awake, so he takes the opportunity to look at him. He can't help smiling. Castiel is in his bed. Dressed, sure, but in his bed. His real bed in his real bedroom. 

   Castiel has kept his trenchcoat, all of his thicknesses clothing actually. He had only loosed his tie a little, allowing Dean to enjoy the view of the small piece of uncovered skin. Dean had already lived it many times in his life, but it's still unbelievable to think that being able to see the beginning of Cas' neck and his collarbone can release into his mind so many hidden fantasies.

-"Hello Dean. Did you sleep well?"

   Dean looks up to meet Castiel's. Caught in flagrante delicto. He quickly looks away and the first thing his eyes land is the door. Castiel must have opened it during the night because the light from the corridor flooded his room. 

-"Mornin' ", Dean manages to articulate still a little asleep. 

   During his sleep, Dean has moved away from Castiel, but now that he is awake, he misses the distance between him and the angel. To change his mind and look good in front of Cas, he reaches for the night table to grab his phone.

-"You received three messages during the night," Cas told him, still unmoved.

   Dean looks at his phone to find that he has received three messages from Ketch. He could share the messages with Cas and thus keep him informed of the progress of his research. But on the other hand, sharing this with him if it's just bad news would not help their situation. He would read the messages later, and act according to what's inside.

-“And I got one. From Ketch.” 

   Dean turns quickly and too quickly given the pain he feels in his neck by moving his head towards Cas.

-“You should have told me”, Cas blames him. 

-“Yeah, well maybe.

-Do you want to sleep a little longer? It's only six in the morning after all."

   Dean sighs and grabs his phone again as he sits up on the bed, and he opens the messages that Ketch sent him.

 

"There is no information about the Empty in the archives of the Men of Letters."

"After further research, the Empty is a dimension outside our world, like Purgatory. It is not possible to go back and forth between the two worlds either you want to enter or leave it."

"I did not find any spell or potion to summon a… Shadow? I can’t do anything more, I have exhausted all my sources. "

 

Dean hands Cas his phone so he can read the messages. 

-"And you asked why I didn't tell you anything?", he asks before answering his own question. "Because we're screwed."

   He leaves his phone in Castiel's hands until he gets up from his bed and turns on the light in his room. Then, he goes to his dresser to take some spare clothes before going back to Castiel who hasn't moved from the bed. 

-"I have to take a shower. 

-Do you want me to help you?"

-With the shower?", he says in his most seductive voice without really paying attention, but when he realizes it, he just has the time to see Castiel blush a little and turn his head to look at the ceiling instead of him.

   The image bursts into his mind without warning. Cas that takes a shower with him, skin against skin, his hand that strolls on the body of Cas and vice versa, then his lips - no. No, no, no, no, and no. Stop. Do not think about it.

-No, of course, but to help you go to the bathroom...? I mean, if you still have a little trouble walking...

   If he is honest with Cas, Dean would tell him he could walk alone now, thanks to Cas' grace. Physically and mentally, he feels good. 

  Sure, Michael did terrible things while he possessed him, but everything he has done consisted of killing monsters - basically a hunter's job - and then improving them with his grace and blood. Michael had just had fun owning his body. It wasn't like Gadreel who killed Kevin while possessing Sam. It wasn't like Amara who had tortured Lucifer while he possessed Cas.

  Michael had just pushed Dean deep in his mind.

-"I won't take long so while I'm taking a shower, you can read this wonderful book I haven't finished on the many dimensions such as Paradise... Hell... Purgatory... All super fun places for holidays!

-I already read it while you slept, to pass the time. There is nothing more in this book than what we already know."

   They look like couples like that, as if they lived alone in an apartment: Castiel sitting on his bed, Dean close to him, and with a strong desire to bend over to kiss him.

-"So, I'm going", he says before turning on his heels.

   For years, he had fantasized about these lips but always kept in mind he could never really kiss them and make Cas his. But now that he had almost tasted them, now that they were reachable, he wanted to take the time to devour them.

 

***

 

   As promised, he took a quick shower. He doesn't have specific ideas of what he's going to do today, but it'll probably be research and long discussions with Cas about the Empty, and with Sam about Michael and the other hunters. But while showering, a new idea burst in his mind. 

   He goes back to his room to put his pajamas on and finds Cas with his phone in his hands.

-"It's time to get up, lazybones", Dean said with a smile on his lips at seeing Cas's puzzled look. "Come with me.

-Why?"

   Dean doesn't answer but makes a movement of the hand to tell him to follow him, which Castiel obeys. They quickly reach the bathroom, and Castiel is more and more questioning. Dean hands him a toothbrush and his tube of toothpaste.

-"You can't eat or sleep, but - and correct me if I'm wrong - it seems to me that you can still do some small human things.

   The idea looks completely stupid now that he says it out loud, but he guesses it's also because Cas makes no movement to catch the toothbrush.

-"So that... Uh...", he hesitates before saying, "What do you think of having your own toothbrush, and to wash regularly? It will not make you human, but at least you will have the illusion... What do you think?"

   Finally, Cas catches the toothbrush and he smiles at Dean. Dean turns to grab his own toothbrush, and when he returns to Cas, he just has time to intercept the tube of toothpaste before Cas pours toothpaste directly into his mouth.

-"Wow! No, no, Cas, Cas, what are you doing?", he says as Cas interrupts his incredulous gesture, then Dean understands. "You don't know how to brush your teeth, are you?

-Well, I thought I know how to do it, but if you think I'm doing it badly, I guess that means I do not know."

   Dean teaches him how to do, which is strange because Cas has been on Earth for a very long time, has the body of an adult, but also because he wasn't alone when he was human. Okay, Dean wasn't perfect - far from it - but Cas had been with other people when he was human and no one had helped him and correctly learned him how to brush his teeth... If it's not guilt he feels, Dean does not know what it is.

   Once Cas has assimilated what Dean has just told him, they both start brushing their teeth. It's a rather odd feeling to be proud of teaching an angel how to make this gesture of everyday life, but Cas seems so happy to make a gesture as simple as Dean can't help but feel it.

   It's when Dean also starts brushing his teeth that he hears his brother go down the hall on the other side of the door.

-"No, we will demarcate a circle bigger and bigger”, says a feminine voice. “We need to be organized if we want to get rid of them faster and better.

-No, I think by doing that, you will just make them run away," Dean hears Sam says. "If we make a circle with Lebanon as a center, we're just going to push Michael's monsters to the borders and they can run away in another country and come back later. You have to put hunters on the borders and shrink the circle instead of enlarging it.”

   Dean walks over to the door to hear better over the noise of the toothbrushes that are moving. Dean stops, but Cas just goes slower, so Dean opens the door. It's Sam who just spoke, and the other voice comes from a woman he's never seen, but since Sam looks comfortable with her, she must be part of the AU hunters. Dean hasn't bothered to learn their names, but after looking at her, she vaguely tells him something.

-"About what?", Dean finally asks, interrupting their conversation.

   Sam stares at him for a few seconds, hesitating about what to tell to Dean, but the woman answer, so the woman does it for him.

-"Michael's mutant monsters", she announced gravely, "we must kill them. Quickly."

-"They could kill a lot of humans", Sam adds, "but they can also set themselves up in the world according to Michael's plans."

   Dean nods, still brushing his teeth, which doesn't seem to bother anyone. 

-"Michael can go to any part of the world", Dean hears Castiel say clearly behind him. "Which tells us that mutant monsters can be in every country and that they might be ready to attack the whole world at the same time. It’s better to prevent them from fleeing the country”, Castiel continues to explain, “so we have to shrink the circle to regroup them, not to scatter them to other parts of the world.”

  Dean finally turns his head towards Castiel.

-"I'll go try to contact all the hunters around the world," Sam announces before heading back to the war room.

   The woman is still in the hall, staring at Dean and he is about to enter the bathroom to clean his mouth but before, he asks:

-"A problem?"

   She lets out a smile and starts walking to follow Sam who has already disappeared. Strange.

   Dean enters the bathroom again, in which Cas is still waiting for him, and Dean cleans his mouth quickly.

-"Movie tonight?", he asks Cas as he grabs his bath towel to dry his mouth.

    Case nods with a slight smile on the lips, which allows Dean to see that Cas has some toothpaste on the corner of his mouth. Unconsciously, Dean approaches his hand and begins to wipe. Cas' skin is soft. When he looks up, he finds those of Cas. Dean clears his throat and quickly passes his towel over Castiel's mouth.

-"You will shower tonight, I will also lend you pajamas if you want ... it will not change anything, but it will at least give the illusion."

   He finds himself always absorbed in the contemplation of Cas's lips.

   Dean doesn't know who initiates the kiss, but suddenly his lips are found on those of Cas. But this time is different from the last one. Two days ago, Cas had just put his lips on Dean's, but now Dean is answering. It's fiery, almost brutal. Soon, Dean's tongue found the entrance to Cas' mouth. Dean's hands find Cas' hair and he clings to it desperately. He totally lost himself in this kiss, letting Castiel to press him against him, one of his hands resting on his hip, the other in the hollow of his loins. He deepens the kiss. It's so good to kiss him. His hands, his scent, his tongue. They end up moving away to breathe. They are both breathless.

   Dean takes a few steps back, looking at Cas to be sure he’s okay. It must have been him who kissed him first because when Castiel returns to do so, he seems surer of himself. He leans Dean's head back slightly, grabs him by the waist and rests him on the worktop. Dean is a little bigger than Cas, but they barely notice it.

-“We should stop”, Castiel manages to say between two kisses.

-“Yes”, Dean answers when he is completely out of breath, “in a minute.”

   Dean's body is burning, and his hands wander around wherever they can cling to Cas's body, his hair, his neck, his shoulders, his biceps, his chest, all he can reach with his hands. And Dean wants more.

   Castiel is the first to come off and steps back to prevent them from starting again. They are both lost in the other's eyes and finally, they seem to have resumed normal breathing.

Three days since Cas had told him his secret in order not to let Dean do anything about it, and now he has messed up everything. He really has to find a plan to break his deal because Cas would die in two days if they keep going like this.

   Castiel comes back to him, still looking at himself. Without a word, he grabs Dean's hips to help him get off the floor.

-“Until we find a plan against the Shadow, we should not do it again...”, Castiel says with a sad voice.

   Dean nods. Why, on earth, did he fall in love with the only angel who is able to make a deal so stupid?!

 

***

 

   When the movie is finally over, Dean is proud of himself. He did nothing wrong to Cas and vice-versa. Cas must stops by the kitchen so Dean walks straight to his room but the more he gets close to his room, the more he walks slower. There is light in his room and he is sure he turned it off this morning.

   He makes sure not to make a sound as he pushes the door. There is a woman who is sitting on his bed, the same woman from this morning.

-“Thought you would never come to sleep”, she says while she stands up when she sees Dean.

-“What are you doing here?”

   She smirks and Dean can feel panic rising in him. “ _It’s not Michael_. _It’s not Michael_. _It’s not…_ ”, he keeps thinking but it doesn’t work. She gets closer, trying to be seductive. That’s something that could work on him but there are too many things he can’t forget, with on top of the list Cas and Michael. _“It’s not Michael, Dean!_ ”

   Dean keeps repeating this simple sentence in his mind, but when there are just a few inches between them, Dean loses it and moves to the bed to catch his gun. “ _It’s him! He wants me back!”_ he thinks while trying his best not to make eye contact with the woman he barely knows.

   She immediately freezes, hands in the air. Dean can tell she looks a little afraid but she manages to look confident enough to avoid being overwhelmed by panic.

   She opens her mouth a few times, unsure about what to say, and she finally relaxes but Dean doesn’t understand why at first.

   It’s only when Cas appears in the room that she finally moves, running away from Dean’s room. Cas doesn’t care about her and slowly walk towards Dean. When he gets closer, he grabs the gun, puts it away in the nearest drawer, and hugs Dean who doesn’t stop shivering.

-“It’s okay. It’s not him”, he starts whispering in Dean’s ear. “If he can feel me when I’m close to him, remember that I can feel him too. I would never let him get close to you again, Dean. You’re safe.”

   Perhaps he has been more affected by Michael than he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

   Two weeks have passed when the door of the Bunker make his usual grinding. Dean can feel Jack’s look rest on him while he, Sam and Cas all look at the door. Dean is about to stand up and catch the gun under the table of the war room, but Cas hold him back by putting his hand on his shoulder. They barely exchange a glance before Dean’s eyes looks back at the door. The red-head woman has already crossed halfway down the stairs when Sam stands up to greet her.

   Everyone in the room has stopped working or doing anything to watch the witch storm furiously across the room. She looks absolutely furious and Dean is already having fun imagining his brother being yelled at, but Rowena is coming closer and closer to him. In fact, he realizes he is her target. 

-"Everyone out. I have to talk to these young people", Rowena screams in the room while dropping the big bag she is carrying on the table, just under Dean's nose, crushing the book he was reading at the same time.

   As one man, Dean can see all the hunters turn to Sam who nods to tell them to leave. Once the room is empty, Rowena turns her eyes to Dean.

-"Are you sure you did kill Lucifer?", she asks.

   Dean is not stupid enough to really answer it. If she asks the question, it's because something very bad happened. And of course, it's linked to Lucifer. It's almost demoralizing how, even if he’s dead, he can be a pain in the ass.

-"What happened?", Sam asks on the defensive. 

   She takes her phone from her coat pocket and opens it on the photo application before handing it to Sam, who widens his eyes as he sees the images.

-"It seems that they both have found each other", she announces dramatically.

-"Nick fled months ago. He can be wherever he wants", Sam says without being really convinced. "I mean seeing him doesn't mean it's Lucifer."

   Instead of answering him, Rowena shows him her phone open on an image precisely. When Sam sighs and runs his hand over his face to finally leave it on his mouth, Dean grabs Rowena's arm to see the famous picture. The photo is very poorly framed because Rowena had to hide behind a wall, but Nick is there, in the middle of the shopping center, all the shops around him are devastated and most importantly, his eyes are red, and he smirks. Okay, well, Nick with red eyes and an unleashing of the elements around him, indeed, it's a pretty obvious sign that Lucifer might be back.

-"I saw him, and I saw him killing and destroying everything, so none of you will dare to contradict me. It is a threat that must be taken seriously.

-However, there were no signs, right? Sam?", Cas' asks Sam, unsure. “We studied every strange phenomenon, and nothing could tell that Lucifer was back…

-We might have misinterpreted them. I couldn't predict that Lucifer would resurrect, so I thought it was Michael.

-Well, Samuel, you were wrong", Rowena interrupts him. 

   Sam gives him his most beautiful bitch face, usually reserved for Dean. He is almost jealous.

-"Well, we all know Jack wouldn't bring him back," and while Dean says, looking at Jack for confirmation, "so we have to see how it could have happened and if it's someone or something that has managed to resurrect him. 

-Now that we know he's alive, we need to track him down and kill him once for all", Cas adds. 

   Dean draws up a mental list of things that they must deal with. Michael. Lucifer. Castiel's deal. And the mutant monsters. And each time, he could kill two birds with the one stone. If he's working on Lucifer's case, he would probably work on the case of the Empty at the same time. Same for Michael and his monsters. 

   Before anyone could come out with an idea, he plans everything before they could argue. 

-"Okay. Fine. Sam will stay here with Jack to keep going with the hunters to plan to kill Michael and his monsters. I go with Cas and Rowena to look for Lucifer.”

   He looks at Rowena to be sure she gives him her approval. If she’s as terrified as before to face Lucifer – as Dean is with the idea to face Michael –, he wouldn’t insist to take her with him and Cas.

-“I prefer to be here”, she finally says when she realizes that Dean is waiting for an answer, which surprises her. “Just to be sure you don’t fail again.

-Dean, we should go with you", Sam starts to argue.

-"No, we're just checking if this is true", he says while avoiding Rowena's gaze and immediately feels the need to justify himself, "Rowena is coming with us to prevent any problems from him. Maybe he is not so powerful, maybe he is full power. Anyway, with Rowena's powers, we'll be able to bring him back more easily."

   With these words, Dean puts both his hands flat on the table, determined, and begins to get up to go prepare his bag for his little trip.

\- "Still we should come with you", Sam keeps arguing. "If it's Lucifer, we need to be prepared, and we need to be together."

   Dean looks at his brother's. He doesn't even know how to convince him without revealing what he has just thought about. Because if Lucifer is back, maybe the Shadow is for something. Anyway, going to hunt Lucifer is the only chance he has for the moment to be able to contact this thing. And some time alone with Cas is not a surplus, even if Rowena's going to be there with them, she is there for security against Lucifer by being the most powerful witch, and more importantly, she's not Sam. Telling Sam his little secrets, Dean's not ready for that. He hasn't even told Cas about him, even if Cas isn't stupid.

-"It's okay, Sammy. And then I have a good feeling", he says and starts walking to his room, pretty confident that Cas is following him.

   He is halfway to his bedroom when Cas finally speaks.

-"It's dangerous, Dean", and Dean stops and turns to face him. "I trust you. If you have a plan or not, you know I'm always here, but Lucifer is Lucifer and we shouldn't underestimate him.

-I know, but I think it's between us right now", Dean confesses. "Look, Rowena will take care of our backs. Jack didn't bring him back, he said it, and no one other than him has power over the Empty, so question: what brought him back on earth from eternal sleep?

-Actually, it's in two phases: being sent on earth is quite easy if you annoy the Shadow enough. So, the correct question is: what or who awaken him?"

   Dean can't help but smile, which makes Cas frown. 

-"You just said it: "If you annoy the Shadow enough"," Dean says with a triumphant smile, "someone must be really angry out there, and it's probably visiting earth right now.

-So, we're hunting both Lucifer and the Shadow", Cas realizes, a smile growing on his lips.

-"Hey, I'm not just a pretty face."

 

***

 

   It was obvious that Rowena would never spend the night in a shabby motel. After a six-hour drive in almost absolute silence, Rowena finally had a fit, got out of the car as soon as Dean parked, and dropped a "no way" while looking at the shabby hotel Dean has just picked. She let out a "See you tomorrow", took her bags and headed for another hotel. What Dean and Castiel - who had remained motionless in the Impala - looked at each other in silence, not knowing what to say.

   She had left with her two bags - one containing her clothes, the other her witchcraft kit - leaving Dean and Castiel in the cheapest motel in the city. Which at first didn’t alert either of them and when they were alone, Dean had found it a very good thing that Rowena had left.

   So, here they are. Dean, who had ordered a pizza and was satisfied, is lying on his bed watching tv. Meanwhile, Castiel is in the shower. Dean is happy that Cas ended up taking this little habit, and he seems to like it too. It wouldn’t change his angelic condition, but he seems to appreciate that little human gesture. And to be honest, Dean loves to see Cas in his pajamas and comes to bed next to him.

   They haven’t lost this habit, but compared to two weeks ago, Cas has gradually left the top sheets to lie with Dean under them. None of them had any inappropriate gestures, even if sometimes one of them could catch the eyes of the other looking at him, or their lips.

   The episode of  _Dr. Sexy, M.D_. comes to an end when Cas finally comes out of the bathroom. Two weeks and Dean is still not used to it. The still wet hair dressed only in shorts (Dean had cracked and had offered him this little visual pleasure) and a black t-shirt, both bought together with other new clothes to enlarge his guard dress. Cas puts his folded suit on the table of the room before coming to sit on the bed.

   Dean loves these little habits they have taken so quickly, and so, without a word, they go to bed. Dean switches the tv off while Cas does the same for the light.

   Every morning, when he wakes up, Dean turns to Cas to make sure he's still here and he's fine. And every morning, Dean finds Cas busy reading, or on his phone, or watching shows on the internet. On the other hand, every night, Castiel is still waiting patiently and in the dark as Dean falls asleep. He has never said how much Cas' presence at his side reassures him. Maybe he should, but he supposes that Cas already knows it now.

   Except for tonight, Dean can feel Castiel's body moving under the sheets and snuggling up against Dean, his chest against Dean's back. He manages to put his arms around his waist to take him in his arms and puts the tip of his nose against his neck.

-“Are you spooning me? And I’m the little spoon?!”, Dean chuckles, half asleep.

   Castiel starts to pull away but Dean holds him back to put him back as he was.

-“I don’t know what that means, ‘spooning’...”, Cas whispers in Dean’s ear, and a thrill of pleasure runs through his body. “Either one of us will die tomorrow because we can't be happy together, or I’ll never dare do what I want because of the deal, so just this one time, I want you to fall asleep while you’re in my arms, Dean.”

   Dean nods, and the stay like that until Dean falls asleep, rocked by the breath of Castiel which strokes his neck.

 

***

 

   Dean is awakened by a ray of sunshine that passes through the curtains of the window. Lying on his back, he only must turn his head to discern the silhouette of Cas. He is beautiful, sitting on the bed, his back resting against the wall, and reading something on the computer that Dean stole the day before from his brother.

-“What are you reading?”, Dean asks, his voice deep because of his falling asleep.

   Castiel turns his head towards Dean while smiling. Still half asleep, Dean gets closer to him to lie down with Cas, but he leaves his position to lie down too. Dean can’t help but smile and rest his head against Cas's shoulder. The position is not very comfortable but it's so good to be near Cas.

   Dean's eyes rest on the screen to discover that Cas is doing some research on the strange phenomena of the region. These events have been going on for four days now, and Cas opens a second webpage to show Dean on one side all the strange events listed and their consequences, and on the other side, on a map, he can see Lucifer's recent travels of a certain color, and another one that might correspond to Michael.

-“You did a good job”, Dean declares, impressed.

-“Well, I had a lot of time to do it. I’m glad you like it.”

   Dean bites his lips. Of course, if he didn't need Cas to stay with him every night, he could take care of doing something else, whatever it is. Cas is really becoming a good hunter. After saying that, he closes the computer, comes with one hand to slide it on the floor and turns fully to Dean.

   It's so easy to believe that they are in a relationship, that Cas belongs to him and that if he wanted to, he could kiss him or more. Cas seems to understand him because he passes his hand under Dean to put it on his shoulder and thus bring him closer to him.

-“You know that our favorite witch can come here whenever she wants, right? If she pops in here ...”

   Dean does not want to imagine how much she would be annoying if she would discover them in this kind of situation.

-There are a lot of rooms, we would hear her knocking and screaming on each door”, he jokes but then, he seems to be lost in his thoughts. He finally asks, serious again: “What's the plan?

-Easy. Only three steps: step 1, we find it; step 2, we trap it; step 3, we kill it. See, easy. No more Shadow”.

   Castiel doesn’t seem ready for this plan, but that's all they have for the moment. Dean gets up and goes to the shower while Cas recovers his computer. It’s still early, - 5:52 AM according to his phone –, and Rowena will certainly not delay contacting them to kill Lucifer once for all.

 

***

 

When they arrive, Cas has already told them about the morbid story. Through newspapers and the internet, he learned that an 'unknown man' entered the house of a happy family overnight and destroyed everything in his path. The only question that Cas could not answer was "why?".

   On site, the house is partially burned. The other half is a miracle and Dean praises that the roof would not fall on his head as he walks into the house. Rowena has gone to inspect the floor - what's left of the floor - and Cas has gone to ask questions to the neighborhoods because with his suit he was the only one who could pretend to be an FBI member, Dean having decided the day before not to take his suit.

   The further he advances; the more traces and splashes of blood became numerous. And of course, he ends up discovering three big puddles of blood, and thus the place of the murder. Dean's hunter instinct wakes up immediately. On all the pictures he could see of the family, there were four: two parents and two children. Someone is worn missing and he really does not have the heart to kill a ghost that has just been slaughtered. He is not going to finish burning the house!

It is at the end of the living room, in the corridor that leads to the kitchen that he hears a noise. The kind of noise he's not supposed to hear if he's alone. He takes out his weapon. They may be just curious people who have nothing to do there.  _"Maybe it's ... No!”,_  Dean stops thinking. He shakes his head to focus on the noise and firmly holds his weapon in his hands. Most of the furniture is donated, all are broken or reduced to small pieces.

   He's expecting foolish kids expecting some thrilling adventures - in the middle of the day, but let's move on - but what he finds is worse.

   In front of him, in the shadows of the now abandoned house, stands the mother whom they had earlier suspected of being Lucifer's new vessel. The whole family of this poor woman had been massacred, and now remains only her, possessed by the shadow of the Empty. She is covered in blood, her skull smashed open.

   But it’s not Lucifer… This one looks…Scarier? Crazier, maybe? If it’s not Lucifer who did this, maybe the woman went crazy and killed her family…?

-Don't worry, Dean Winchester," she begins to say, "I do not come for the angel Castiel, even though I have often been close to come and take it," she adds with a smirk which makes Dean's heart beating faster because of the realization.

-You’re the Shadow.”

   Dean is breathless and lost. What could he do, now? The Shadow’s in front of him, he is terrified because he underestimated it. Trap him, he remembers saying to Cas, of course, but how exactly.

\- "I'm coming for the Archangel Lucifer. He was not supposed to wake up and this time, and I certainly can’t leave that you and your hunters, can I? But you -

-Actually, it's more my brother's hunters”, Dean interrupts it.

    Because of his remark, the Shadow looks at Dean with more interest this time.

\- "Well those hunters failed killing Nick, a simple human.”

   Nick? He did that? But how did he…?

\- “Strange”, the Shadow says as it walks closer to Dean, “you don’t seem to know about it. Then let me tell you. Nick prayed to Lucifer because he was so desperate without him, which bring him back.

-That’s not –

-What? Possible? Oh, dear, he did. And better, he did something because of love when you couldn’t do it for your precious angel? Are you sure you love him, because it doesn’t make sense to me. Nick can save an angel from the dead, when you can’t”

   It's playing with Dean’s mind. Everything – its voice, its face, its words – are terrifying. There’s no way he could ever be strong enough to beat him with his fists or any other weapons…

-“I want to make a deal with you. "

 

***

 

   When Dean comes out of the home, Rowena is already outside, talking with Castiel. They both look at him as he walks closer, and he tries his best not to look guilty.

-“Everything indicates through the plans of the angel, that Lucifer is heading north, that's where we should -

-Not worth it”, Dean interrupts Rowena. "The shadow will take care of it", he adds as he avoids looking at Cas.

   He keeps walking towards his car, covered by Rowena’s questions:

-“The Shadow? Of the Empty? So, we can just ... Start again? Like nothing ever happened?

-That's it”, he simply confirms. "Cas, are you coming? "

   It’s only when they’re both in the car, when Dean’s driven outside of the city that he stops the car and turns to Cas.

-“You're free from the deal. But when you die, angel or human, you'll go to the Empty.

-How did you ...?”

   It’s hard for Dean to tell if Cas is happy or not. He must be though, at least Dean’s hopping.

-Well, I offered him something he could not refuse. So ... ", Dean starts saying, has a smile growing on his face," When I die, I'm coming with you.

-Humans are supposed to go to Heaven, Dean!

-You're right. But Heaven without you is not Heaven, understand?”, he says and immediately found Cas’ lips on his. “Cas, these days with you, it's unbelievable, but it's not enough. And for neither of us."

   There's no need for a declaration of love, no need for any "I love you". No, it's just them. They’re about to kiss when Dean’s phone rings. He rolls his eyes to Heaven, but before he accepts the call - from Sam, of course -, he can hear Cas says while bites his lips because of the missed kiss:

-“Some things never change.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's finally the last chapter!  
> I'm so proud I did it, and I'm even more proud you read my fic so thank you so much!!!!
> 
> With love, Camincya ;)


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